Telling Banks Someone Has Died

Most banks will ask for a copy of the death certificate, the account holder's details, and confirmation of your relationship to them or your role as executor. If probate has already been granted, having a copy of the grant to hand speeds things up considerably, though for an initial notification you generally do not need it yet.

It is worth having a rough list beforehand of every bank, building society or account you believe the deceased held, based on statements, correspondence, or online banking apps found on their devices, so you can work through the list systematically rather than discovering accounts piecemeal.

Once notified of the death, a bank will typically freeze a sole account to protect it, meaning no further withdrawals, standing orders or direct debits will go through, though the account can still receive incoming payments in most cases. Some banks will release a modest amount immediately, for example to cover funeral costs, on production of the death certificate and an invoice, without needing to wait for probate.

For the balance above the bank's own threshold, commonly ranging from a few thousand pounds up to around £50,000 depending on the institution, the bank will require a grant of probate or letters of administration before releasing funds. This threshold is set individually by each bank, so check directly rather than assuming a single figure applies everywhere.

Joint accounts held on a survivorship basis, the normal arrangement for most joint current and savings accounts, usually pass automatically and in full to the surviving account holder, without needing probate. The bank still needs to be notified of the death, so records and any relevant tax reporting are updated correctly, and so the account is put into the survivor's sole name going forward.

See our guide on joint bank account after death for more detail on how this works and what to check, since the position can differ for accounts held as tenants in common rather than as joint tenants, though this is less common for everyday bank accounts.

Rather than approaching each bank in an ad hoc way, it helps to work through your list systematically, keeping a simple record of who you contacted, when, what reference number they gave you, and what they said they need next. This avoids duplicated calls and makes it easier to track progress, particularly if the estate has accounts spread across several institutions.

Some banks are part of shared bereavement notification services that can pass details to multiple providers at once, which can save time, though it is still worth confirming directly with each institution that they have received and actioned the notification.

When you notify a bank, ask for a written statement of the balance as at the date of death for each account. These figures are essential for valuing the estate accurately and reporting to HMRC, so gathering them promptly and keeping them organised saves time later in the process.

Our guide on valuing estate for inheritance tax explains how these balances, along with property and other assets, come together to establish the total value of the estate for tax purposes.